These Three Rules
by babybuonarroti
Summary: "Nastu," Lucy smiled at him, attempting to calm him by resting her hand against his cheek. He held her hand there, tears coming down his face in thin, endless trails. "Natsu, I'm scared..." Warning: Major character death. Short, bittersweet, one-shot.


**Warning: Major character death. Short, bittersweet. NaLu if you squint. Just a story fragment that popped in my head and needed to be written down, I apologize for the lack of plot and/or detail.**

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Rosy bangs cast a shadow over tearful, downcast eyes, hiding their visibility from those looking in. The weight in his arms felt lighter than ever, hollow even. His eyes roamed over her face, though her head hung limply draped over his arm. Her eyes were open wide, staring out into nothing. Strands of blonde hair stuck to her face and neck where blood and sweat had dried there. She had never looked so frail before.

"There are three rules I must explain to any mage who wishes to leave Fairy Tail." Natsu began, fighting to keep his voice even. Happy floated alongside him slowly, weakly mumbling Natsu's name in concern through his tears. "One, you must never reveal sensitive information about Fairy Tail to others for as long as you live."

Natsu felt fresh tears running down the predestined trail, his lips quivering as he fought not to sob. "Two, you must never use former contacts met through your being in the guild for personal gain." He continued, his knees giving out beneath him and sending him to the ground. He pulled her closer in his arms, his tears dripping onto her pale chest as violent tremors wracked his body.

He threw his head back, screaming as he recited, "Three, though our paths may have diverged, you must continue to live out your life with all your might!" Happy landed beside him, hugging her and sobbing into her side. "You must never consider your own life to be something insignificant!" He continued, screaming out his agony for all to hear. "And you must never forget about your friends for as long as you live! Lucy!" There he was, ripping his own heart open to pour out the blood of his soul.

His screams echoed through the mountains as he let his head drop to hide his face in her blonde hair, the hair that was always so radiant and full of happiness. _She_ was always so full of happiness, so full of live and love and excitement and adventure. His chest tightened painfully, his face contorting as he continued to mourn. She was his best friend, someone he could _always_ count on to be by his side. But where was she now?

* * *

" _Nastu," Lucy smiled at him, attempting to calm him by resting her hand against his cheek. He held her hand there, tears coming down his face in thin, endless trails. "Natsu, I'm scared..."_

" _Lucy, don't speak!" Natsu begged, his eyes brimming with concern as dread sat like a weight in his stomach. "I'm going to get you out of here!"_

" _I don't want go, Natsu." It was like she couldn't hear him, tears clouding her vision, still wearing that sad smile as she stared into his eyes. "I love Fairy Tail... I don't want to go... Just yet." Her voice broke as she nuzzled Happy farther into her side from where he had been sobbing. "I love..."_

 _Natsu's eyes widened as he heard her heartbeat stop. "Lucy? Lucy!" He yelled, shaking her shoulders. Her eyes were still wide open, her mouth parted slightly in a smile. "Lucy! No, you can't! Please... Please!"_

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He felt his chest ache as the scene replayed over in his mind. He would never be able to forget the deafening silence as her heart came to a halt, the life draining from her usually starlit eyes, the way she fought up until the very, bitter end. He forced himself back to his feet, scooping up Happy to let him lay with her as he continued on his way, carrying her back to her home; the guild.

"Damn it, Lucy. Why'd you have to go?" Natsu asked weakly, fighting to stand as he brought her to her friends and family. "You're a true mage of Fairy Tail, never giving up even in the end of it all. I'll never forget the ways you've inspired us all to become better, to become stronger, to become braver. I'll never forget you, Lucy. Not even for a second."

 _I love... you, Natsu._

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 **So, ouch. I'll admit this was kind of brutal of me, I don't even like to read character death but here I am writing it (as per usual). Oh well, I was rewatching the anime and got to the point of the Edolas arc where Natsu is explaining the three rules to Mystogan, and I was like, "Time to make it even worse."**


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